BREAKING: Colts Set Sights on Trade Block as Playoff Push Heats Up
The Indianapolis Colts are built to win now — and GM Chris Ballard could look to add veteran help before the deadline.
After a gritty win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6, the Indianapolis Colts showed they can win in every fashion. As this team continues to run through the NFL, a deep run in the playoffs is very much on the table.
With Chris Ballard staring down a Lombardi, he might be looking to attack the trade block in an attempt to patch up this squad, add depth, and get this team ready for January. Ballard has always valued development and draft capital, but this team is too good not to take a swing at a legit game-changer.
Let’s take a look at a few trade candidates that could give this team the depth they need. Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker listed several NFL players who could be on the trade block and suggested the Colts as a possible fit for five of them.
Starting with my favorite, veteran linebacker Jordyn Brooks is sitting on a 1–5 Miami Dolphins team. Even with an unimpressive defense, Brooks still leads the league in tackles through Week 6.
Brooks has only missed two tackle attempts this season. He’s second in sacks among linebackers, and 13th in pass-rush grade among linebackers with a 76.2.
With Brooks in the final year of his two-year deal and Indianapolis’ 35.1 overall PFF grade at linebacker being the lowest in the league, a trade for a solid backer makes perfect sense.
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Locker also floated a few other veteran linebackers as potential fits for Indianapolis, including 36-year-old Demario Davis and the resurging Jamal Adams — both proven leaders who could add stability to the middle of the defense.
Next, Locker suggests possible trades for veteran tight ends Mark Andrews and David Njoku. But with this current Colts offensive firepower and their more pressing defensive needs, it’s hard to see Ballard targeting a skill position.
There are also a couple of players I like that Locker listed on the trade block but didn’t necessarily connect to Indianapolis. One of those players comes from the same struggling Dolphins team that’s likely to be listening to offers.
I like the idea of Ballard going after cornerback Rasul Douglas, who’s currently averaging his best career PFF grade with an 82.2 on the 2025 season.
Douglas holds a 77.9 PFF coverage grade with three pass breakups across 161 coverage snaps, making him a prime candidate for a Colts secondary that ranks 17th in coverage grade through six weeks.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Colts find themselves in a rare position — built to win now, but still improving every week. Ballard has never been one to make splashy trades, but this roster might be good enough to warrant one.
The window is open — and the AFC is there for the taking. If Indianapolis wants to make a serious playoff push, the time to add talent is now.
Former Sooners DT Jonah Laulu is continuing to prove everyone wrong in the best way possible by being Raiders' biggest surprise
The Las Vegas Raiders took a flier on former Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle Jonah Laulu by signing him to their practice squad and then letting him fight for a role on the 53-man roster. Not only did he fight for a role, but he also took over the starting role next to Adam Butler, which was left open after the release of Christian Wilkins.
He's had an amazing season, and on Sunday, he had one of his best games. The Raiders PR staff tweeted out some impressive accolades that Laulu now has that not many can say they do.
Raiders DT Jonah Laulu and his 2025 stats
- Laulu has 4.5 sacks through six games.
- Third-most pressures on the team with seven, behind Crosby and Malcolm Koonce.
- Has one pass batted down at the line of scrimmage to disrupt a play, as compared to Crosby's three.
- Has a 0% Broken Tackle + Missed Tackle Rate
Raiders DT Jonah Laulu is doing what hasn't been done since 1986
"DT Jonah Laulu brings down TEN QB Cam Ward for a sack and a loss of nine yards. Laulu now has a career-high 4.0 sacks in 2025, the third most in the NFL among interior defensive linemen. DT Jonah Laulu is the first Raiders defensive tackle to record four sacks in his first six games of a single season since Bill Pickel in 1986 (4.5)." - Raiders PR Staff
Laulu is playing like one of the best defensive tackles in the league right now. Initially, he was just looked at as a guy who could be a space eater in the run game, and a guy who could take on blockers to free up guys like Adam Butler and Maxx Crosby. But that's not been the case at all.
Teams are doubling Crosby, like crazy, and Laulu is taking advantage of that.
“I can’t lie. Jonah is a special talent, dude can play. He doesn’t even know it yet, but he’s going to be a hell of a player,” Crosby said after the Raiders’ first practice of their 2025 training camp.
If anyone knows about playing on the defensive line, whether it’s rushing the passer or stopping the run, which Crosby is pretty much the best at — it’s him. So, when he says that Laulu is a special player, one hell of a player, actually, and he says so somewhat unprompted — that means something. So far, Laulu is proving Crosby right.
